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June 28, 2009

G75: Atlanta 2, Red Sox 1

Penny pitched well (6-6-2-0-2, 106) but two solo home runs -- Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson -- was enough for Hanson (6-2-0-2-2, 97) and a quartet of relievers.

On his ninth pitch of the afternoon -- a fastball to Kelly Johnson -- Penny grimaced, called out the trainer and was seen shaking his right arm. Penny said afterwards that his thumb had gone numb when it "popped out of the joint for a second. It was nothing. I just needed a second to let it come back."

Boston's run came when Jason Varitek's two-out single scored Kevin Youkilis.

There was an odd play in that inning. Youkilis singled and Jason Bay struck out. David Ortiz tapped a grounder to second. Johnson gloved the ball and went to tag Youkilis, but Yook froze in the basepath. So Johnson threw to Casey Kotchman at first base to retire Ortiz. Kotchman then threw down to shortstop Diory Hernandez, who chased Youkilis back to first.

Hernandez's throw back to Johnson at the bag was high and Yook was able to slide back in safely. So ... Ortiz grounded out to second and the runner at first did not advance!

He's gotten us into the sixth pretty regularly. Now, his stuff is getting better, too. His stuff is more powerful. ... He's starting to locate, he's starting to throw it downhill. [Trade rumours?] I didn't pay much attention, because I knew where we were. We didn't sign him to trade him. We signed him to win.

Hanson would be making his fifth career start today. However, he has been battling the flu and Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said it was "very iffy" if he could go this afternoon. If not, Kris Medlen (6.12, 69 ERA+) will get the ball for his fourth career start.

MLB.com:

Hanson continued his recent trend of creating trouble for himself and then pitching out of it. Against the Yankees on Tuesday, the 22-year-old rookie held the Yankees scoreless over 5.1 innings, but walked five batters and hit another. The wildness drove up his pitch count to 99 in the fifth, forcing him out of the game despite allowing just four hits.

Mike Lowell will fly back to Boston tonight and get an injection of Synvisc in his ailing right hip on Monday morning. Lowell:

It's not normal to look forward to an injection, but I'm really looking forward to it. I want to feel the relief that hopefully it can provide. I defer to them when they say I can play after that.

Monbo Jumbo advised:"If you buy ice cream at the stadium, make sure they have spoons before you hand over your money. Yesterday they ran out of spoons, but weren't telling the customers until after they'd paid. I asked the guy how was I supposed to eat it, and he said - 'wait 5 minutes and use a straw.' Class organization."

Yeah, ish, but even when A Conformer said he'd be in Anaheim, all I could think of, apart from coasters, was the fried chicken at Knott's Berry Farm. I guess this is nature's way of telling me to go start supper....

A Conformer: I answer to 'john'--most people omit the last name when addressing me.

This was one of those times I was touring SCal amusement parks with my journalist g/f who did coasters for an industry paper. Everything except the chicken was comped, so money was not an issue that day.

"It's interesting how they agree to such things without a rule being established."

I'm not 100% certain that there's no rule, but reasonably sure. They don't necessarily all get together and agree to something, it's just standard industry practice - or in this case, non-practice. A lot of industries have things like that.

Tito is a great players' manager, and he handles the press well. But, his inability to read the flow of a game and alter his situational strategy according to the dynamics of the moment frustrates me to no end. Case in point, today's finale in Atlanta. 2-1 Atlanta with 2 outs in the ninth and Kottaras on first. Herky/Jerky left-handed Gonzalez is on the mound for Atlanta. His delivery constantly leaves him off balance and falling away toward third base. He's just allowed Youkilis to score on a bloop hit by Tek. He's upset that his defense just blew a double play that should have ended the game. He's ripe to be shaken up more by something unorthodox. Speedy Ellsbury is batting left-handed. Chances of Ells getting a swinging hit against his unorthodox delivery are slim. I said to myself, Tito, why don't you order him to lay down a bunt up the first base line. The pitchers momentum is going toward third. They'll never get Ells, you'll shake up the pitcher, and then you've got right handed hitter Green up who's seen the young left-hander at spring training while playing for the Braves. You'll have the tying run at second and the go-ahead run on first in the speedy Ellsbury. But no, Tito lets him swing away and overmatched by the unorthodox delivery, Ellsbury strikes out. No, you can't win them all, Tito. But, you can win a lot more by simply pressing a few buttons once in while.

Another IMAC - (insignificant morning after comment) (about the only type of comment I'll be able to make until after LL calms down a bit - 16 hours on Sat. & 12 on Sunday, I need a break from my days off)When I checked the Red Sox site for a wrap-up and box score, as always AFTER I got the real scoop on JoS, the article stated the following - "Brad Penny served up 2 solo home runs, but those were more than enough for Atlanta to salvage the finale."???? - MORE than enough. I guess they didn't need that last 1/2 of a run because they could have won with only 1 1/2?I'm no Einstein or anything, but last time I checked scoring 2 when your opponent scores 1 is scoring just enough to win, not MORE than enough.Oh well, no game tonight, for either of my teams or the teams playing in the district 9-10 tournament that our complex is hosting. Just 1 practice for my older guys. We usually finish up by 7:30 or 8 with them so I may actually get to catch the end of a game tonight, although more than likely I'll end up stopping by the local watering hole for a long overdue beer or 6.Maybe I'll make a MAGIC (midnight after game incoherant comment) :)

It would not have gone down well if Ellsbury, with 2 outs in the 9th inning, bunted and was thrown out at first. Chances are better he'd reach because of his speed and the delivery but he is also not a real good bunter. Plus how are you going to drop one up the first base line if you're seeing sliders away?

You would have to catch the ball first then whack it up the first base line and even then, you'll be lucky to leg it out.